During the game, star center Victor Wembanyama had a block that got a lot of views on social media. Via The NBA: "Wemby didn't even jump on this rejection 😳" The 2024 Rookie of The Year had 16 points,

"It's very possible that he'll be the face of basketball. Not just NBA basketball, but world basketball," said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle.

The story, as Buford tells it, goes like this: Claudio Crippa, an international scout for the Spurs, proposed going to see a youth game before checking out Doumbouya. Buford saw Wembanyama play for the first time that day. And the seeds for the Spurs’ new master plan were immediately planted.